Senate Bill No. 454
(By Senators Deem, Foster, Kessler, Green, and D. Facemire)
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[Introduced March 4, 2009; referred to the Committee on Energy,
Industry and Mining; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §22-6-22 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to the reporting of certain
geologic information obtained incidental to oil and gas
drilling; requiring the filing of reports with the Department
of Environmental Protection and the State Geological and
Economic Survey; providing for the delivery of core samples
and well cuttings to the State Geological and Economic Survey;
and assuring the confidentiality of reports and other
information provided.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §22-6-22 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 6. OFFICE OF OIL AND GAS; OIL AND GAS WELLS;
ADMINISTRATION; ENFORCEMENT.
§22-6-22. Well log to be filed; contents; authority to promulgate rules.
(a) Within a reasonable time after the completion of the
drilling of a
shallow or deep well, the well operator shall file
with the
director an accurate log. Such log shall contain
secretary and with the State Geological and Economic Survey a
report containing the following:
(1) the The character, depth and thickness of geological
formations encountered, including fresh water, coal seams, mineral
beds, brine and oil and gas bearing formations; and
(2) such Such other information as the
director secretary may
require to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
The
director secretary may promulgate such reasonable rules in
accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code,
as
he may deem may be considered necessary to ensure that the
character, depth and thickness of geological formations encountered
are accurately logged:
Provided, That the director shall not
require logging by the use of an electrical logging device:
Provided, however, That if electrical or mechanical or geophysical
logs are recorded in the well, they shall accompany the report:
Provided further, That mechanical or geophysical logs shall not
include vertical seismic profiles or two-dimensional or
three-dimensional seismic information.
(b) If a well operator takes core samples, that activity shall
be noted within the report, and upon written request, the operator shall provide the State Geological and Economic Survey with a
complete set of cores, consisting of at least quarter slabs,
correctly labeled and identified as to depth.
(
c) Upon timely written request prior to constructing any
well, a well operator shall provide the State Geological and
Economic Survey with a complete set of washed drill cuttings, if
available, correctly labeled and identified as to depth.
(d) Reports and other information or materials that reveal
trade secrets or other confidential business information relating
to the competitive interests of the operator or the operator's
privy may not be disclosed to the public for one (1) year following
delivery, unless the operator consents in writing. For good cause
shown, the period of nondisclosure may be extended in annual
increments: Provided, That the total period of nondisclosure shall
not exceed three (3) years.
(e) Notwithstanding subsection (d) of this section, the State
Geological and Economic Survey may store and process confidential
information within its minerals mapping or geographic information
systems. Statistics or other information generated as the result
of storage and processing may be disclosed in the aggregate through
articles, reports, maps, or lectures presented in accordance with
generally accepted academic or scientific practices and in a manner
to preclude the identification of a particular well or operator.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to authorize the preparation
and submission of geological reports incidental to oil and gas
drilling and to require that logs and other valuable geological
information obtained by operators in the normal course of business
be delivered to the State Geological and Economic Survey.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.